Making tatoos clean and legal

Was your tattoo safe and legal? The Lenoir County Health Department is out to make sure your next one should be.

Wes Wolfe / Staff Writer

It’s his second tattoo.

Barry Clark received his first ink at Tattoo Aztec on West New Bern Road, and returned Monday for his second one.

“The feeling you get when you get a tattoo is almost addictive,” Clark said. “If the shop wasn’t about to close the last time I was here, I probably would have gotten another one after I had my first one done.”

Fortunately for Clark, Tattoo Aztec is a place noted by Lenoir County Health Department Director Joey Huff as doing things the right way. Huff went before the Lenoir County Board of Commissioners Monday morning to announce and ask approval for funding of a public awareness campaign on tattooing in the county.

Currently, there are only seven licensed tattoo artists in Lenoir County.

“We’re experiencing a situation in Lenoir County, and probably in other counties, where there are individuals performing illegal tattoo activities,” Huff said. “And often times, our teenagers are attracted by tattoos, and it’s a popular activity and culturally acceptable for people to have tattoos these days.”

State law mandates tattoo artists, and the place of business, receive a permit from the health department of the county where business is conducted.

“We are aware there are some individuals who are performing illegal tattoos in their kitchens and hotel rooms,” Huff said. “Making appointments, advertising on social media — via Twitter and Facebook — to perform tattoos. They’re attracted to the outside people because they’re doing tattoos at a lower rate than what the permitted tattoo artist is.”

By going through the permit process, health department inspectors are able to make sure the equipment and area is safe for customers, and that tattoo artists are going through the correct procedures. Dirty needles are able to transmit a blood-borne illness from one person to another.

And then there’s the matter of underage clients. Huff said the department will place advertisements educating teens and their parents it’s illegal under state law for anyone under 18 to receive a tattoo, even with a parent’s permission.

Lenoir County Commissioner Jackie Brown asked Huff if his public awareness effort applied to dogs, as well. WGHP FOX 8 in the North Carolina Piedmont Triad area reported Friday of a Pilot Mountain tattoo artist who tattooed his dogs’ stomachs while they were sedated.

“This man loved his dogs so much, he had the belly of both his dogs tattooed,” Brown said, noting an animal rights group spoke out against the action, and asking what Huff’s opinion was on the matter.

Huff said he wasn’t aware of a specific law prohibiting the tattooing of pets.

Stokes County officials sent out a statement on the matter, which said appropriate actions would be taken should an investigation uncover illegal activity.

Chief Photographer Janet S. Carter contributed to this story. Wes Wolfecan be reached at 252-559-1075 or wes.wolfe@kinston.com. Follow him on Twitter @WolfeReports.